The UAE just made artificial intelligence a mandatory subject in public schools this academic year, becoming one of the first countries to do it. But talk to private school leaders around the emirates, and they’ll tell you they’ve been working on this for years already. From Abu Dhabi to Ajman, schools have been quietly embedding AI into lessons, training teachers, and pushing students to go beyond just using the technology—they want kids who can actually build things and innovate with it.
As students came back from summer break, it became pretty obvious that AI isn’t some flashy new experiment anymore. It’s becoming part of the foundation of how schools operate, with classrooms turning into AI-powered learning spaces. The real question now isn’t if schools will adopt this stuff, but whether they can do it in a way that actually helps kids rather than just checking a box.
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Some Schools Have Been At This for Years
Habitat School in Al Tallah, Ajman, started teaching AI back in 2019. That’s before most people were even talking seriously about ChatGPT. Principal Mariyam Nizar Ahamed said they set up a dedicated AI Lab and now offer AI as an actual skill subject for students in Grades 9 and 10. But they don’t wait until high school to introduce it—first graders are already learning age-appropriate AI concepts.
The school treats AI like any other subject, with weekly sessions and ongoing progress checks throughout the term. They even have an annual Digital Festival where students show off their AI projects. The whole point is to get kids thinking critically and solving problems early, so by the time they graduate, using technology creatively feels natural.
Over at Bloom World Academy in Dubai, founding principal John Bell said they were the first UAE school to offer a fully accredited BTEC qualification in AI for students 14 and older. Their philosophy is pretty clear: technology should empower people, not replace them. That’s an important distinction when you’re teaching teenagers how to use tools that might reshape entire industries in the next decade.
Students work on all kinds of projects—mock trials, AI-powered conversations with historical figures, stuff that gets them thinking about both how the technology works and what it means ethically. Bell said they call their approach “Authentic Intelligence,” making sure curiosity, responsibility, and innovation go hand in hand. They’ve also put serious effort into training teachers to use AI responsibly, from planning lessons to running real-time simulations.
AI Becomes a Bridge for Multilingual Learners
At Swiss International Scientific School Dubai, digital design teacher Abdulaziz Ahmed explained that AI fits naturally into their program because it lets students explore on their own and develop the kind of inquiry-based thinking the IB framework emphasizes. For a school where students are juggling multiple languages, AI translation tools have become genuinely helpful, supporting kids working in French and German.
Students also use AI for creative work, like designing movie trailers in media classes. Those skills aren’t just fun exercises—they carry over into bigger IB projects where students need to demonstrate independent research and real-world problem-solving.
GEMS Is Going All In
When it comes to investing in AI education, GEMS Education isn’t messing around. Baz Nijjar, their vice president for education technology and digital innovation, said they’re weaving AI literacy across all subjects, with a focus on ethical use and cultural relevance. They’re even working on advancing AI in Arabic, which matters a lot if the region wants to actually lead in this space rather than just follow what’s happening in English-speaking countries.
GEMS Dubai American Academy is now a Centre of Excellence for AI and Robotics. The new GEMS School of Research and Innovation launched with a $100 million investment and is packed with the latest AI tech. They’ve also created something called the Global Education AI Hub, bringing in experts and industry people to build AI tools that are both useful and safe for schools.
Kids as young as three are getting introduced to AI concepts through games, storytelling, and pattern recognition activities. By primary school, they’re playing around with robotics and voice assistants. Older students dive into machine learning and data analysis, creating their own AI-powered solutions in environments where teachers can guide them through the process safely.
The annual GEMS Global Innovation Challenge has thousands of students using AI to tackle real problems tied to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. We’re talking about AI-powered disaster warning systems, smart agriculture platforms for food security, wearable health monitors—actual solutions to actual problems, not just theoretical exercises.
Teachers Need Training Too
Here’s the thing: none of this works if teachers don’t know what they’re doing with AI themselves. GEMS is expanding its leadership program to train teachers to drive AI innovation across their schools. They’re partnering with Microsoft to develop custom AI tools specifically for teaching, learning, and school leadership. Nijjar said they’ve built the biggest AI in education program in the region.
Up in Abu Dhabi, Sarah Griffiths, principal of Yas American Academy, said they rolled out a new AI course this year to match up with the country’s national priorities. The goal is getting students ready with skills in one of the fastest-growing fields out there, while also building up their digital literacy, critical thinking, and creativity.
Getting Ready for Jobs Nobody Can Predict
Dr. Sonia Ben Jaafar, CEO of the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation, put it in perspective: “Introducing AI into UAE classrooms from the earliest years is a strategic step toward building a future-ready society.” It’s about making sure every kid grows up with the confidence and skills to be part of—and maybe help lead—the country’s big tech ambitions. This goes beyond just knowing how to code or use software. It’s about teaching young people to think critically, make ethical decisions, and actually contribute something meaningful.
Educators will tell you straight up: nobody knows what jobs will look like in 20 years. But teaching students how to work with AI effectively gives them skills that should transfer no matter what the future holds. That means understanding how to prompt AI tools, analyze what they spit out, and apply it to real situations. It’s less about memorizing facts and more about learning how to keep learning as technology evolves.
A lot of private schools still depend on international exam boards, which take time to develop proper AI content and assessment methods. Once those pieces fall into place, you’ll see private schools integrate AI even more deeply into what they teach. As one educator put it: “It’s not a question of if, but when.”
Nijjar from GEMS wrapped it up pretty well: “AI is constantly evolving and so is how we teach it. What matters is that our students leave school not just as consumers of technology, but as leaders who can innovate responsibly in a rapidly changing world.”
For UAE schools, that future isn’t some distant possibility. It’s already happening in classrooms right now, with seven-year-olds learning pattern recognition and teenagers building disaster warning systems. Whether all of this actually prepares them for what’s coming—well, we’ll find out soon enough. But at least they’re getting a head start.